Drifting / Sliding

ASAP · 10-30-2016, 01:31 PM

I understand that this car has an open diff... but does anyone find this car extremely hard to hold any sort of drift / slide in? Even doing donuts in this car feels awfully weird as the chassis so twitchy... I think the combo of the short chassis, the open diff, and poor suspension all contribute to this. Even when I try to do donuts or try to bring the car out of any sort of slide, its insanely difficult and throws the car all over the place instead of straight... the slow rack makes things even harder... does anyone have any tips or recommendations?

lowside67 · 10-30-2016, 04:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ASAP

I think the combo of the short chassis, the open diff, and poor suspension all contribute to this.

This is likely all true. I am not a drifter and spend as little time sideways as possible but at autocross it does happen, and I have found that since doing things like rear subframe bushings, etc. it has made the car a lot more predictable. Also, while you may be turning traction control off, you cannot underestimate how much the electronic differential continues to mess with things to try to simulate a true LSD - a mechanical LSD and the proper coding to eliminate the e-diff was also a game changer.

Mark

1spirit · 11-01-2016, 06:25 PM

Stiffer rear subframe bushings such as ones from the M3 will help quite a bit, and I'd consider this before an LSD or any suspension upgrade if I had to choose only one from the start. It's still not the easiest car to drift with, but it will become more manageable and you can still have a lot of fun!

ASAP · 11-01-2016, 06:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1spirit

Stiffer rear subframe bushings such as ones from the M3 will help quite a bit, and I'd consider this before an LSD or any suspension upgrade if I had to choose only one from the start. It's still not the easiest car to drift with, but it will become more manageable and you can still have a lot of fun!

I have rsfb's, koni yellows and mr toe arms... still cant do it safely or properly...

maybe my 265 rear pss are too sticky, but honestly the car just doesnt feel right

1spirit · 11-01-2016, 07:04 PM

What are your alignment settings? Aside from alignment, the next step I'd suggest are the M3 suspension bits front and rear.

It does help to have a square tire setup to better drift this chassis, but the rear can still get loose and go sideways on the track with my 235/265 RS3 setup.

I aim for the lowest possible camber in the rear with 1/16" toe-in. My rear camber doesn't go below -1.7*. Since you have upgraded toe arms you can set your toe to as low as 1/32" in. Front camber should be at least -2.1* with very minimal toe-in or zero toe. These are suggestions I use for my car which is driven frequently on the street.

Ginger_Extract · 11-18-2016, 04:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lowside67

This is likely all true. I am not a drifter and spend as little time sideways as possible but at autocross it does happen, and I have found that since doing things like rear subframe bushings, etc. it has made the car a lot more predictable. Also, while you may be turning traction control off, you cannot underestimate how much the electronic differential continues to mess with things to try to simulate a true LSD - a mechanical LSD and the proper coding to eliminate the e-diff was also a game changer.

Mark

Agreed with this. I also own a 240sx drift car, so welded diff, and the typical supporting mods. It has no electronic aides, so jumping back into my 1er and trying to slide it made me realize that even with DSC off, the electronics are still at hand, trying to mitigate wheel spin, before eventually being overpowered by the engine, causing the car to snap loose more than break away predictably. Will have to look into coding...

The Wind Breezes · 11-18-2016, 06:54 PM

The car is not that hard to drift. Get some weak tires on it so it will slide easier and practice making it unstable so you don't have to rely on your throttle for anything but keeping your speed up.

Vigilante375 · 11-21-2016, 01:24 AM

Short chassis? No. Suspension? Yea, but its not that bad. It is the diff. If the 135i had a true LSD working the rear, then you'd have no problem holding and maintaining a drift.

10-30-2016, 01:31 PM	#1
ASAP Major General 10152 Rep 8,622 Posts Drives: '23 X3 M40i Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: FL iTrader: (0)	Drifting / Sliding I understand that this car has an open diff... but does anyone find this car extremely hard to hold any sort of drift / slide in? Even doing donuts in this car feels awfully weird as the chassis so twitchy... I think the combo of the short chassis, the open diff, and poor suspension all contribute to this. Even when I try to do donuts or try to bring the car out of any sort of slide, its insanely difficult and throws the car all over the place instead of straight... the slow rack makes things even harder... does anyone have any tips or recommendations?
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11-01-2016, 06:25 PM	#3
1spirit Private First Class 205 Rep 182 Posts Drives: BMW 135i Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: Silicon Valley iTrader: (0)	Stiffer rear subframe bushings such as ones from the M3 will help quite a bit, and I'd consider this before an LSD or any suspension upgrade if I had to choose only one from the start. It's still not the easiest car to drift with, but it will become more manageable and you can still have a lot of fun!
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11-01-2016, 07:04 PM	#5
1spirit Private First Class 205 Rep 182 Posts Drives: BMW 135i Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: Silicon Valley iTrader: (0)	What are your alignment settings? Aside from alignment, the next step I'd suggest are the M3 suspension bits front and rear. It does help to have a square tire setup to better drift this chassis, but the rear can still get loose and go sideways on the track with my 235/265 RS3 setup. I aim for the lowest possible camber in the rear with 1/16" toe-in. My rear camber doesn't go below -1.7. Since you have upgraded toe arms you can set your toe to as low as 1/32" in. Front camber should be at least -2.1 with very minimal toe-in or zero toe. These are suggestions I use for my car which is driven frequently on the street.
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11-18-2016, 06:54 PM	#7
The Wind Breezes Lieutenant Colonel 912 Rep 1,850 Posts Drives: 135i N55 DCT Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: USA iTrader: (0)	The car is not that hard to drift. Get some weak tires on it so it will slide easier and practice making it unstable so you don't have to rely on your throttle for anything but keeping your speed up.
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11-21-2016, 01:24 AM	#8
Vigilante375 Major 116 Rep 1,158 Posts Drives: 2012 AW 6M 135i Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: WA iTrader: (0)	Short chassis? No. Suspension? Yea, but its not that bad. It is the diff. If the 135i had a true LSD working the rear, then you'd have no problem holding and maintaining a drift.
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